It’s the day before Thanksgiving. Let’s face it, you’re going to make at least one more last minute trip to the market today (I know I’m dreading trying to find the one remaining picked over broken in half baguette that I just have to have for my soup addition to tomorrows feast). Do your self a solid and hunt out those neglected bags of cranberries and stock up. Grab some dried figs and let’s kick that canned cranberry sauce good bye forever. This simple slow cooker cranberry sauce is the most simple thing you can put on the table (besides […]

Looking back at the archives reveals that there are simply not enough side dishes featured here. With the holiday season barreling towards us at hyper speeds that I am not prepared for, I am doing my best to spice things up and add a few. When serving a large party, I rely heavily on my slow cooker for everything from appetizers to desserts. At the moment I own… 6… >.> Don’t judge. Creamed corn is one of those love it or hate it dishes. Sadly, I know a ton of people that hate it. Bully for me, because, I love […]

It all comes down to this – the final Slow Cooker Monday. Spring is here and, even though I use my slow cooker all year round, it will be time for a new ‘theme’ for Monday posts here in the PtS kitchen. Sadly, I have no idea what that theme is yet. It will be a shocker to us both In the mean time we should recap the slow cooker recipes of the last 13 weeks. If I could find a way to make this into a cheesy sitcom montage I would. Just play some corny music in your head […]

Some people just can’t hold their liqueur. It’s a skill I think everyone should find some time to develop. See, being able to sip a drink and hold a conversation is a wonderful thing that often leads to evenings of laughter and entertainment. However, some people just drink to get drunk and end up spending most of the night in the bathroom. This happened the other night as we were dining with strangers and enjoying bourbon samples at the Mid-Atlantic Food and Wine Festival. The Bacon and Bourbon dinner was held at the beautiful Columbus Inn in Wilmington DE with […]

Where I love my slow cooker with a passion that sometimes is a little peculiar in a public setting, sometimes I’m reminded that like all things, it can let you down from time to time. See, slow cooking is all about flavors and sometimes a recipe can just fall flat if the components aren’t there the way they need to be. Sadly, that’s how this recipe started. I wanted a mouth watering, aromatic punch in the face with these Asian themed meal. Something that would have me salivating. But when I actually got to into the kitchen and starting tossing […]

Can you believe there are only a few weeks of winter left? And that means only a few more weeks of low and slow Mondays. I may cry. My slow cooker and I have had some major bonding moments and I am scrambling to narrow down the dozens of recipes I still want to test out to only 4 more. That or I may just continue slow cooker Monday’s through the spring. One recipe I knew I had to make was this beef filling. First, Mexican food is one of my go-to’s. Second… no really, I just live Mexican. Handsome […]

My comic shop is located in a college town. It makes for a diverse customer base from our long term locals to the passing through collector. But for the past few weeks we have had an onslaught of atypical purchases – a wide variety of students – because they have an assignment in which they have to read a comic and assess if the rating on the cover is appropriate for the content within the pages. I really wish I could read a few of these papers when all this is said and done. Seeing as we have had an influx of […]

Bet you’re thinking, “She’s a food blogger, course she’s planning some stellar sort of knock your socks off and right into bed Valentine’s Day meal.” Well… Let me disappoint you. I’ve got nothing. No fancy chocolaty molten dessert, no candlelit dinner, no Etta James to set the mood. I don’t even know what I’m making yet and there is nothing thawing in my freezer. To be perfectly honest, I’m thinking of a great little pizza place that may just fit the bill. Beer, pizza, and later that night some Archer to really set the mood. Hopefully, you are all far more prepared then myself and have […]

Want a classy at home date night for your loved one so you don’t have to deal with the stress of going out and forgetting reservations on Valentine’s day? Want an even easier dessert that you can whip up when you get home from work that will be ready in time to send the night off with some whipped cream on top? (He’ll never know you didn’t spend all day baking). Want a chance to win a cherry red Crock-Pot? Yeah, I thought so. For my regulars, you know by now how much I love my slow cooker. I am […]

Every now and again it’s good to humble yourself by totally making an ass of yourself live over the internet to be forever broadcast over Youtube. Only every now and then. Which is exactly what I did last week as part of the G+ Food Bloggers Community #superbowlplus Week of Champions. First, the Google communities are great and are growing rapidly. As all things with Google, there isn’t much you can’t find on there being discussed and chronicled. But if you should want to host a Hangout you should totally be more prepared then I was or at least bother watching this […]

Around this time of year, every year, I get sucked into the grand finale of football season: the Super Bowl. I’m one of those fans who ticks everyone off, paying no attention all year long, only to watch the last four games of the season and base my critical decision of who to root for on colors or mascots. But I have to admit, even I got caught up in the excitement of the game since Ray Lewis played his last home game, and the Baltimore Ravens have earned themselves a spot in the Super Bowl. (None of this would […]

Because the weather outside is supposed to be frightful for the next few days. Because some days you just need to be fat. Because nothing hits the spot quite like macaroni and cheese. And because nothing says easy dinner like the crock pot. This is what’s for dinner. And there’s probably going to be leftovers. …that is, unless you accidentally leave the slow cooker on high for an extra four hours after supper causing your pasta to over cook and turn to mush. Then, it might just be pizza tomorrow night.

Maybe it’s because it’s January, maybe it’s just something in the air but I am living that ‘power of doing’ slogan you hear all over the Home Depot commercials. From wanting a large chunk of back fence to trap the neighbors rotating crew of dogs from entering my yard and to help separate me from the entire eye rolling ghetto fabulous conversations that take place in the yard to our left when the weather gets a little warmer, to rearranging the living room, and hanging one of those curved shower curtains. I’m digging all that’s getting done recently in the house. Now, can […]

A year ago 2.5 miles was the hardest thing in the world. Pedaling up the hills and over the terrain would leave me heaving for air and disgusting with sweat. It was gross and I hated it. Finding the motivation to pick up the bike and ride was tough, but I was far too stubborn to be left behind while Handsome was out having such a good time. I will never forget one of our first rides. Every time I climbed one hill, I would look up and see rolling fields with only steeper hills in front of me. My […]

2012 is over. No going back now. It’s time to get your game face on and tackle the upcoming year with me. I mean seriously, I’m talking war paint up your mug like you are Mel Gibson getting ready to storm the battlefields of Stirling. For 2013 – let’s just make a checklist. For the home: New carpet, new sofa, new chairs for the kitchen, big shiny new back door. Yeah, that last one needs to happen. Our house is slowly developing a look but we need to have a little heart to heart. I mean seriously, our house is missing… […]

This Monday is supposed to kick off a new series on PtS since the soup kitchen has closed. But since it’s Christmas Eve and all I want to do is run around cleaning and stressing over Christmas dinner humming holiday music and baking cookies I’m simply going to wish everyone a fantastic Christmas and wonderful holidays! Here is a painless Christmas brunch idea that can be tossed in the crock pot early while the unwrapping madness occurs and is ready in time for when everyone remembers they are hungry. Here’s a little sneak peek at things to come in the following Mondays. […]

Have you ever just wanted gooey-cheesy-clog-your-arteries kind of food? Of course you have. Why else would you be here? That’s what I wanted when I walked into the kitchen to make this weeks Soup Kitchen Monday creation. Problem was, between recent travel, and the holiday season, I really should have just been eating celery. When I think of taco soup, I think of a hearty packed chili like soup slathered in cheese and swirled with sour cream and ever though I had seen some recipes for just that, I knew I had to cut it back just a bit. Don’t worry, there’s […]

As I type this the hype of Sandy has almost peeked in my area and people are tucking themselves in to their homes to see what this beast has in store for us. At this point I have been warned about high winds, possible snow, and severe power outages. I hope you are reading this in a warm cozy house with power and that Sandy has left you unharmed. Our strategy included digging out the Pop-Tarts from last years hurricane Irene and pulling the umbrella and chairs off of the porch. I probably should have stocked up on toilet paper and ice […]

You know those friends who call and you know it’s going to be a few minutes but it’s totally worth it? Yeah, we all have one – or a few… The other day a friend of mine calls me. He has discovered a slug in his living room. One lone slug… And he is freaking out. To be fair, this friend does not like bugs or insects of any sort. Today, that includes mollusks. My friend was worried he should call an exterminator, “but what if there’s a hole in the wall?” To which I replied, “Exterminators don’t fix holes in […]

It’s Monday and you know what that means – Soup’s on! It’s easy to forget in the warmer months how much I love soup, but these past few weeks and rekindled a love affair too deep for a few warm days to make is disappear. It was a beautiful 70something degrees today but tomorrow calls for rain and I’m betting a bowl of this soup is really going to hit the spot. Now, as far as soups go, potato soup didn’t jump out at me as one I had to make, but it was one my boyfriend swore he loved. and you all […]

For reasons unknown to me, I woke up and decided to cut the soda habit on Saturday morning. We can call this a quarter life crisis or something, but it’s time to make some changes. I allowed myself one Pepsi on Saturday while at work and haven’t had once since. I’m staying strong. Pray for me. Now, I don’t think drinking soda is an unhealthy habit, I think drinking lots of soda when I should be drinking water is a terrible habit. I’ve also quadrupled our vegetable intake just in four short days. Yep, guess it was time to make […]

With all our out and abouting going on on the mountain bike trails I realized I needed a few new toys of my own to go around. First, I wanted an everyday lens to have out there. My 35mm was just not cutting it for quick action shots. And a bag to tote all of this around in. The lens was easy – I walked into my local camera store and told them what I needed. Boom. The bag, no so much. You would think shopping for a bag to carry your camera around in would be easy. It’s not. […]

Oh, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Oaaaatmeaaaal.” Sigh, “But Kita, we don’t come to your blog for oatmeal.” but trust me on this one. Besides, if it was all ‘Manwiches‘ and deep fried lasagna this blog would be all about my cardiac arrest and struggle with opening Lean Cuisine boxes. I’d like to believe that I could eat a cheeseburger every night but that simply isn’t an option. Sure indigence is fun, but we have too keep it straight and narrow if we want Handsome to stick around to build me something new and spiffy (or fix that bike that’s […]

Things I miss about winter – already: My awesome knee high socks. Sure, no one else sees them but I love the argyle print, stripes, and awesome random prints that match my outfit every day. The moment it get’s over 60 degrees it’s time to bust out the flip flops, wedges and open toed pumps. No more knee socks until next winter. It’s warming up, which means I have to get in the last wear of that awesome cable sweater until next season. No more of those adorable thermal prints with polar bears or those cozy long sleeve henlys. They […]